Woman charged with attacking firefighter

An Antioch woman who police said started a fire in her own apartment, then attacked a firefighter who came to rescue her, is in jail.

Lisa Hurmis, 45, is charged with aggravated arson, residential arson and aggravated assault and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. She is held on $600,000 bond in Lake County jail.

Police Cmdr. James Ruth said Hurmis rents one of two apartments above a business at 931 Main St. in downtown Antioch.

Ruth said the male resident of the other apartment called to report the building was on fire at 1:38 a.m. Thursday.

The first firefighters on the scene determined the fire was in Hurmis' apartment and moved to evacuate both units.

While one group of firefighters was leading the occupant of the second apartment down the fire escape, firefighter Bryan Mesinger entered Hurmis' apartment, Ruth said.

Ruth said Hurmis lunged at Mesinger with a four-inch paring knife, but the 6-foot, 9-inch firefighter was able to quickly disarm her.

"He took the knife out of her hand in pretty short order," Ruth said. "He tossed the knife aside, picked her up and carried her out of the building."

The fire was extinguished before it did major damage to the structure, Ruth said.

Hurmis had called police a short time before the fire to complain that boxes outside the building could block her escape in an emergency, Ruth said, but officers determined there was no threat.

An investigation by police and fire officials established Hurmis deliberately set the fire in her apartment, Ruth said.

Associate Judge Daniel Shanes set Hurmis' bond at a hearing late Thursday and ordered her to appear in court March 5.